The Motorola DEFY might be rugged enough to withstand a long drop, a dust storm and even a monsoon, but it looks as though countless units around the world couldn’t even endure the manufacturing process. Hundreds of DEFY users from markets across the globe have taken to forums complaining of the same problem — the ear speaker stops working within the first few days of use. Owners are able to hear callers fine when using the handset’s loudspeaker, but the ear speaker remains nonfunctional. Some users have attempted to take the phone apart and repair the speaker themselves, though this is not advisable. Motorola has yet to confirm or deny the issue publicly, but affected handsets are being repaired or replaced under warranty. More →

If you own a pair of Apple-friendly Monster headphones that haven’t been very Apple-friendly lately, you’re not alone. A source at Apple recently told BGR that customers are complaining en masse of “erratic behavior” associated with music playback on Apple devices. The problems affect the iPhone, iPad and Apple’s iPod range, and include random pausing, playing and skipping forward or back through songs. Apple has determined internally that these problems are being caused by a variety of Monster headphone models that make improper use of Apple’s Remote and Mic technology despite advertising compatibility with Apple products. Specifically, the problematic models “use conductive flanges, which can result in electrical shorts that cause an iPod or iPhone to pause and play erratically.” According to Apple, these headphones “do not meet Apple’s technical specifications,” and the company is afraid customers might think Apple products are responsible for the associated malfunctions. Offending Monster headphones include the Jamz, Lil Jamz, Turbine Basic, Turbine Pro and Heartbeats product lines.

UPDATE: Monster has issued the following statement to BGR:

Monster was recently made aware by Apple that some of our Jamz™, Turbine™ and Heartbeats™ headphones with ControlTalk™ may experience some irregularities under certain circumstances (it does NOT affect ControlTalk™ Universal). This irregularity potentially affects a very small fraction of our headphones and to this date we have received no customer complaints. However, because the customer experience is our top priority, Monster immediately stopped shipment of all potentially affected products.

With the exception of the black or chrome Heartbeats with ControlTalk™, this issue does not affect any other of the Beats™ by Dr. Dre™ products. If you think you are experiencing a problem with one of the headphones listed below, please contact Monster customer service [http://www.monstercable.com/service] to receive a replacement.

Verizon and Motorola have come out with an official statement to address screen issues early adopters of the Motorola DROID X are experience; specifically, banding or flickering. The statement is short and sweet, and goes something like this…

Verizon Wireless and Motorola are aware of a very small number of DROID X units that have experienced a flickering or banding display. Motorola has resolved the issue and is continuing to ship the phones. Any consumer who experiences a flickering or banding display should contact a Motorola customer support center or Verizon Wireless.

…and there you have it. Any DROID X owners out there experiencing this issue? More →